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Prosecutors Say Royal Oak Cop Distributed Child Porn

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ROYAL OAK (WWJ) – An ex-Royal Oak police officer has been charged with 20 counts of child pornography.

State prosecutors say 41-year-old Michael Smith downloaded and distributed child porn to other people through an online file-sharing network.

Investigators said Smith was tracked down through an investigation by the Flint Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

“Child pornography victimizes our kids over and over again, and Michigan will not be a haven for this terrible corruption of innocent children,” said Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, in a statement announcing the charges.

Smith is charged with fifteen counts of Possession of Child Sexually Abusive Materials, a felony punishable by up to four years in prison; two counts of distribution of child sexually abusive materials, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison, and three counts of using a computer to commit a crime, a felony punishable by up to seven years in prison in conjunction with the other charges.

He was expected to turn himself in Thursday.

Arraignment was set for Thursday afternoon in Holly’s 52-2 District Court.

Smith, who lives in Holly, was fired from his job in Royal Oak in January.